FORT MEADE, Fla. — The Fort Meade City Commission unanimously approved a controversial development agreement Tuesday night, which advances a massive data center proposal that has drawn weeks of concern from neighbors, especially over water use and the project’s long-term impact on the city.
The vote clears a major hurdle for Stonebridge’s proposed data center campus, planned for more than 1,300 acres northwest of downtown. The project calls for up to 4.4 million square feet of development and, if ultimately built out, could become one of the largest data center campuses of its kind in Florida.
WATCH: Fort Meade unanimously approves controversial data center deal despite fierce public pushback
Tuesday’s meeting stretched for hours, with many in the crowd speaking in opposition before commissioners cast their votes.
Mayor Jaret Landon Williams told the crowd the city was not deciding whether a data center could be built on the site. He described Tuesday’s vote as approval of the development agreement tied to a project that had already won land use and zoning approvals during a meeting last June.
The mayor did acknowledge that earlier stages of the approval process did not include enough public engagement. However, he said changes with the development agreement were made to benefit the community.
Stonebridge representatives defended the project Tuesday night, saying they had listened to community concerns and made concessions.
Doug Firstenberg with Stonebridge described the proposal as “mission-critical infrastructure” and said the company had worked to address concerns about the project’s footprint and water use.
He said the facility’s closed-loop cooling system will allow it to use only a fraction of the water required by some data centers. The 50,000 gallons a day it will need from the city will be for potable use, such as bathrooms and kitchens, while water used for data operations would be continuously reused in the closed-loop system.
Firstenberg also stressed that the project would not require city capital. As part of the agreement, Stonebridge will provide the city with $10 million upfront and additional funds to pursue additional water resources.
“We’re going to ingrain ourselves into the community,” Firstenberg said.
Elise Batsel, an attorney for the development team, also pointed to the number of reviews still ahead and said the project would face strict regulatory scrutiny and permitting through various agencies.
“I have worked on dozens of large industrial development agreements, and I have never seen a developer go this far with what they are willing to do in a development agreement and how far they are willing to support the community financially,” she said.
Not all commissioners approached the vote the same way, but all ultimately supported the agreement.
Commissioner Matthew Taylor criticized what he described as exaggerated and toxic rhetoric online, while also arguing the city could not wall itself off from growth.
“I think it’s naive to feel that we are immune to progress, especially in Polk County,” Taylor said, adding that Polk remains one of the fastest-growing counties in the country.
Taylor also pushed back on broad opposition to artificial intelligence and data infrastructure, saying nearly everyone in the room already uses AI in some form.
Even with the unanimous vote, many residents, including Michael Bennett, remain concerned.
“We’re not against progress. But progress that ignores the people it impacts is not progress. It’s negligence,” he told commissioners.
But with the agreement now approved, Fort Meade has moved the proposal one step closer to reality. If and when construction begins, it is expected to take six years.
Despite the development agreement’s approval, the city attorney said the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has indicated that additional regulatory approvals will be required before Stonebridge is allowed to withdraw 50,000 gallons of water per day. In response, language was added, making the agreement contingent on SWFWMD’s future approval.
Firstenberg said he’s not sweating the additional approval and was aware the additional hurdle was part of the process.
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